Air conditioning device



Oct. 31, 1933. M JOHN ON 1,933,330

AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed June 18, 1931 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORN E Y.

@ct l, 1933. W, M, JOHNSON 1,@33,330

AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed June 18, 193] 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AAAAA Z3 Z2 Patented ct. 31,, 1933 want .CONDITIQQE? DEVICE corporation Application June 18, 1931.. Serial No. 545,164

? Claims. (c1. 12d-1l.6)

This invention relates to an air conditioning device for conditioning air in buildings and the like, and has for its principal object to provide a more economic and ,efiicient air conditioner which may be installed in small cut of the way spaces and particularly in buildings constructed without basements.

In accomplishing these and. other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the, preferred form of which is illustrated 'in the accompanying dra, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an air conditioning device constructed in accordance with. my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the air heating element as viewed from the burner side.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the heating element as viewed from the gas outlet side.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the device on the line 44, Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a vertical central sectional view on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on the line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a horizontally positioned housing having top and bottom walls 2 and 3, side walls a and 5, and inwardly converging end walls 6 and 7, as best illustrated in Fig. l. The end walls 6 and '7 have connected thereto an air inlet conduit 8 and an air outlet conduit 9, respectively, whereby air to be conditioned may be passed to and from the housing 1. The conduits 8 and 9 may be connected by suitable branch pipes (not shown) with the respective rooms or" a building in which the device is installed.

Positioned in the housing 1 and dividing it into an air intake chamber 10 at one end, ad== iacent the intake conduit 8, and an outlet chainleer 11 at the other, adjacent the discharge conduit 9, is a heating element now described for heating the air discharged through the housing by a circulating fan 12 positioned in the outlet end of the conduit 8.

The heating element is best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and includes a substantially rectangular shaped burner compartment 13 having end walls 14 and 15 extending laterally across the interior of the housing 1 and connected by a bottom wall iii-spaced from the bottom wall of the housing .to provide an air passageway "17 for a purpose later described. lihe end walls of the burner compartment are connected to and supported by the side wall e of the hous= ing in alignment with a door opening 18, through which access may be had to the interior oi the compartment.

The side walls 14 and 15 are provided with upwardly extending portions 19 and 20) which hit are connected by a top wall 21 and a connect ing side wall 22 spaced inwardly from the side wall 5 of the housing to provide a passageway 23 for air at the side of the heating element.

Supported in the extensions 19 and 2d of the end walls and extending horizontally therebetween, are a plurality of staggered tubes 24 through which air may be passed directly through the hottest zone of the heating cham her. The heat is confined around the tubes by w the walls 1920 and 2l--22 respectively and the lower edge of the wall 22 is bent laterally as at 25 to close the space between the wall 22 and the wall of the housing above the burner chamber, as best illustrated in Fig. 6.

The top wall 21 preferablyterminates short of the side walls is and 15 to provide a rectangular shaped outlet opening 26 through which the products of combustion are discharged from the heating chamber into an ofitake conduit 2? later described.

The side of the burner and heating chambers opposite to the wall 22 is closed by a wall as that is spaced from the side wall a of the housing 1' to provide room for anair passageway 29 and a downwardly directed portion 30 of the conduit 27.

The outlet conduit 2? for the products of combustion preferably includes a plurality of m spaced inter-connected horizontally extending portions 31 and 32 forming loops extending back and forth across the housing at a point above the burner chamber and the upper loop is connected with the portion 30 extending downwardly in the space between the wall oi the housing and the rear wall of the heating chamber.

The vertical portion of the conduit extends into substantial alignment with the bottom of the burner chamber and isdirected outwardly through the wall of the housing to form a neck 33 which may be connected to a suitable hue, not shown. It is thus apparent that the gases from the burner chamber will travel upwardly around the tubes and out through the opening 26 and. through the loops of the gas conduit, giving 01? their heat to the air which passes through the narrow spaces 34. formed between the loops.-

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The hot gases therefore travel in tortuous paths and are retained for a considerable time before they are allowed to escape to the flue so that the major portion of the heat which would normally escape to the flue is transferred to the. air traveling through the passageways formed by the respective loops of the hot gas conduit.

In order that the heat from the heating chamber and the gas conduit may be confined and retained from the outer walls of the housing, and to provide additional heated surfaces for the air to wipe against, I provide a liner 36 that is spaced from the side and top walls of the housing, as best illustrated in Fig. 6.

The burner chamber may be provided with any suitable type of gas burner 37 which may be connected to a gas supply pipe 38 having a regulating valve 39 for controlling flow of gas and regulating the size of the flame.

In order that the air traveling through the passageway 29 may be divided into thin streams, I provide a bafiie plate 40 which is supported between the conduit 30 and the wall 28 .by suitable ties 41 as best shown in Fig. 6. The gas passing through the outlet 26 may also be retarded by a baffie 42 extending from the wall 28.

In order that all of the air discharged by the fan may be directed through and above the heating element, I provide a hinged damper 44 for closing the passageway 17 below the heater element. The damper is preferably mounted on a rod 45 which is rotatably mounted in the side walls of the housing and operable exteriorly thereof by a suitable lever 46. The damper normally inclines downwardly toward the fan 12 and has a laterally depending flange 47 thathooks over a partition wall 48 extending across the bottom of the housing between its side walls 4 and. 5.

The action of the fan 12 tends to dry the air, and, in order to restore its moisture content, a body of water 49 is carried in the bottom of the housing below the heating element as best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The water is supplied through a pipe 50 extending through the bottom of the pan and its level is controlled by a suitable float controlled valve 51 on the outlet end of the pipe.

The water is vaporized by the heat radiating from the bottom portion of the burner chamber and the air leaking past the damper 44 draws the vapors into the hot air chamber to mix with the heated air and restore its proper humidity. The burner 3'? may be supplied with secondary air to support combustion through a pipe 52 which conveys the air from the exterior of the building and discharges it into the burner chamber.

The portion of air conditioning apparatus thus far described is for heating the air drawn through the conduit 8 and in order that the apparatus may also be used for cooling the air if desired, the air may be diverted through the passageway 17 and over the upper surface of the water 49 by swinging the damper 44 upwardly as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5. The air is cooled and washed by a spray-of water discharged from a horizontal pipe 53 positioned below the pivot rod of the damper and having spray nozzles 54, the water spray 'being controlled by a valve 55 exteriorly of the housing.

When the damper 44 is swung ipwardly to direct the air through the passageway 17, the free end) thereof terminates short of the upp wall of the housing 1, and to cooperate therewith for closing the open space therebetween I provide a second damper 56 which is mounted on a rod 57 extending through the housing and operable by a lever 58, shown in Fig. l. The free end of the damper 56 is provided with a hook flange 59 for interlocking with the flange 47 on the damper 44, to retain the dampers in functional position. The bottom of the housing is also provided with a suitable overflow pipe 60 to carry off water discharged from the spray 54.

A heating device constructed and assembled as described may be mounted in any convenient location in a building or it may be located in the basement and suspended from the floor joist and connected with the intake conduit 8 and with the exhaust conduit 9 for the hot gases.

The burner may be connected to a suitable gas supply and the water connections connected to the water spray and to the float valve. When the device is used to heat the air, the damper 44 is moved to direct the air through the heating element and the burner lighted. The fan is then operated to blow the air through the tubes and around the loops of the exhaust gas conduit.

The air is divided into thin streams and discharged into the opposite end of the housing for discharge through the conduit 9. The heat radiating from the bottom of the burner housing will vaporize the water carried in the bottom of the housing to restore proper humidity of the heated air discharged into the conduit 9.

When the apparatus is to be used for cooling the air the dampers 44 and 56 will be adjusted to divert the air across the body of water and through the spray from the pipe 53. The spray of water washes the air and cools it as it passes therethrough for discharge into the conduit 9 for distribution through the rooms.

When the device is used for heating the air it is obvious that the air discharged through the housing is divided into a plurality of streams due to the narrow passageways through the heating element and that the air streams contact and wipe over a maximum area of heated surfaces so that substantially all of the heat units generated by the burner are absorbed by the air streams before the products of combustion can pass from the outlet 33 to the flue.

It is also obvious that the heating device is compact and may be installed in available spaces without taking up an undue amount of space, as is the case of present warm air heating apparatus.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air conditioning device comprising a horizontally positioned housing having side walls, an air inlet conduit at one end of the housing, an air outlet conduit at the other end of the housing, a heating element positioned in the housing and spaced from the walls of the housing to form air passageways therebetween, means for directing air through the housing in wiping contact with the heating element and the walls of the housing, means for retaining a body of water covering the bottom of the housing for adding moisture to the air, and means located between the air inlet and the heating element for selectively diverting the air below the heating element and over the body of water in the housing when the heating element is not in use.

2. An air conditioning device comprising a horizontally positioned housing having side walls, an air inlet conduit at one end of the housing, an air outlet conduit at the other end of the housing, a heating element positioned in the housing and spaced from the walls of the housing to form air passageways therebetween, means for retaining a body of water covering the bottom of the housing for adding moisture to the air, and means between the inlet and the heating element for selectively directing air through the housing in wiping contact with the heating element and the walls of the housing when the heating element is eifective and over the body of water when the heating element is not effective.

3. An air conditioning device comprising a horizontally positioned housing having side walls, an air inlet conduit at one end of the housing, an air outlet conduit at the other end of the housing, a heating element positioned in the housing and spaced from the walls of the hdusing to form air passageways therebetween, a damper in the housing between the inlet and the heating element for directing air through the housing in wiping contact with the heating element and the walls of the housing, means for retaining a body of water covering the bottom of the housing for adding moisture to the air, a water spray discharging into the housing below said damper, and means cooperating with said damper for diverting the air below the heating element and through said water spray when the heating element is not in use.

4. An air conditioning device comprising a housing, a. heating chamber in the housing, a plurality of tubes extending through the heating chamber, a burner in the heating chamber, a conduit extending in loops from the heating chamber and terminating in a downwardly extending portion adjacent the heating chamber to conduct products of combustion from the heating chamber, a deflector plate between the downwardly extending portion oi the conduit and the heating chamber, and means for discharging air through said tubes and across the loops of the conduit for heating the air.

5. In an air conditioning device, a heating element comprising a heating chamber, air tubes extending through the heating chamber, a burner in the heating chamber for heating the air passing through said tubes, an outlet at the top of the heating chamber, a conduit communicating with the outlet and having horizontally spaced legs spaced from the top of the heating chamber to form horizontal air passageways therebetween extending parallel with the air tubes, and a vertically arranged conduit communicating with said first named conduit and spaced from a side wall of the heating chamber to provide an air passageway therebetween.

6. An air conditioning device comprising a horizontally positioned housing having an air inlet conduit at one end and an air outlet conduit at the other, a heating element positioned in the housing intermediate the conduits having a plurality of horizontally extending passageways,

means for discharging air through said passageways to heat the air, water spraying means in the housing, and means located between said air discharging means and the heating element for diverting air through water sprayed from said spraying means and below the heating element to protect the heating element from moisture carried by the air when the heating element is not efiective.

7. An air conditioning device comprising a horizontally positioned housing having an air inlet conduit at one end and an air outlet conduit at the other, a heating chamber positioned in the housing intermediate the conduits having a plurality of passageways extending therethrough, means in the housing for discharging air through said passageways to heat the air, water spraying means in the housing, and a damper in the housing between the inlet and the heating element for diverting the air through water discharged from the spraying means and below the heating chamber.

WILLARD M. JOHNSON. 

